Solar’s Cost Curve and the Future of the Grid | Episode 166

Описание: Join hosts Lysandra Naom, David Arkell, and John Pooley for a conversation with Andrew Birch (“Birchy”), Co-Founder and CEO of OpenSolar.

This episode explores how solar moved from an expensive niche technology to the lowest-cost source of electricity in history — and why that shift is now reshaping global energy systems. Birchy breaks down the real economics behind solar’s rapid growth, how Australia reached over 30% solar penetration, and why common global energy statistics often misrepresent how close we are to large-scale electrification.

The discussion also dives into the barriers slowing adoption in North America, including permitting delays, grid interconnection challenges, and why batteries fundamentally change the limits of solar penetration.

If you’re trying to understand where energy economics, policy, and infrastructure are actually heading, this episode offers a grounded, data-driven perspective.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:18 What the Solar Industry Looked Like in 2000
01:55 How Australia Became a Solar Leader
05:10 China’s Role in Global Solar Manufacturing
08:26 Public Pushback, Rooftop Solar, and Scale
10:09 Is a Renewable Grid “All Solar”?
10:35 The Risks of Long-Term Technology Lock-In
13:43 The S-Curve Case for Solar Growth
17:37 Policy Barriers Slowing Adoption
21:40 Batteries and Grid Stability
23:28 Choosing the Most Impactful Policy Lever
24:52 EVs and the Electrification Feedback Loop
27:14 Final Takeaways

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